IEEE Activities in

Pre University Education

Moshe Kam
IEEE Educational Activities
June 2006

A Few Words about IEEE

IEEE is the largest professional engineering association in the

world

Originally concentrating on power engineering and

communications IEEE at present spans technical interests
across the spectrum of technology

367,000 members in 150 countries

A 501(c)3 organization in incorporated in New York

From nanotechnology to oceanic engineering

In many respects IEEE has become the steward of

Engineering

What is IEEE?

A membership organization

A major creator and guardian of technical IP

A mechanism to bring people of common technical interests

together

both geographically and disciplinarily

A guardian of the future of Engineering

An implementer of technology-related public Imperatives

What is IEEE?

A membership organization

A major creator and guardian of technical IP

A mechanism to bring people of common technical interests

together

both geographically and disciplinarily

A guardian of the future of Engineering

An implementer of technology-related public Imperatives

Why is IEEE interested in preuniversity engineering education

Because it is in our stated and un-stated mission

Because in many IEEE Sections there is marked decline in the
interest of young people in Engineering

Because we do not believe the problem is going to be tackled

effectively without us

This is bad for the future of these communities and would have a
negative impact on their standard of living

Industry does not appear to be able to address the problem directly

Governments do not appear sufficiently concerned (yet)
Other engineering associations look up to us

What is the Problem?

Flat or declining engineering enrollments in most

developed nations

Insufficient number of engineers and engineering

educational programs in most developing countries

Asia is far behind Europe and the US in number of engineers per

capita

Women & minority students conspicuously underrepresented

Public perception of engineers/ engineering/ technology is
largely misinformed

Coupled with disappointing performance of youth in Mathematics

E.g., free fall in Scandinavia

Resulting in early decisions that block the path of children to

Engineering

Percentage of Science Degrees

Awarded

Science degrees include life sciences,

physical sciences, mathematics, statistics,
computer sciences, engineering,
manufacturing, and building

Source: Organization of Economic

Cooperation and Development

BS Degrees Awarded (US)

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for

Education Statistics

Who inside IEEE is active in this

area?

The IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB)

The IEEE Regional Activities Board (RAB)

IEEE-USA

IEEEs Pre-University Initiative

2005-2006 New Initiative

Objectives

10

Launching Our Childrens Path to Engineering

Increase the propensity of young people worldwide to select

Engineering as a career path
Build a sustained public awareness program, led by IEEE,
with broad support of corporations and professional
associations

Objective 1: Engineering in the

classroom

Institutionalization of IEEE Teacher In Service

Program

11

IEEE Section engineers develop and present technologyoriented projects to local pre-university educators
Emphasis on volunteer-teacher interaction as opposed to
volunteer-student interaction
Ideally: a sustained program involving several thousand
schools every year

Objective 2:
Engineering Associations, Unite!

Center for Pre-University Engineering Education

12

A multi-association organization

With partners such as ASCE, ASME, IEE, SEE

It is about ENGINEERING, not Electrical Engineering

Ideally: the resource of choice for pre-university cooperation

with Engineering Associations

Objective 2:
Engineering Associations, Unite!

Center for Pre-University Engineering Education

13

A multi-association organization

With partners such as ASCE, ASME, IEE, SEE

It is about ENGINEERING, not Electrical Engineering

Ideally: the resource of choice for pre-university cooperation

with Engineering Associations
If we cannot achieve unity we should document the
failure and conclude that we are alone to lead the field.

Objective 3: Strong On-line

presence

New on-line portals for students, teachers,

school counselors, and parents

Educational and entertaining

14

Focused on the audience

From lesson plans for teachers to games for

students
Ideally: the premier on-line resource on
engineering for pre-university students

The Teacher In Service

Program

15

IEEE Section engineers develop and present

technology-oriented projects to local pre-university
educators
Started at the Florida West Coast Section in 2001
Lesson plans in English and Spanish for teachers
and engineers
Lesson plans matched to educational standards

The Teacher In Service

Program

16

IEEE Section engineers develop and present

technology-oriented projects to local pre-university
educators
Started at the Florida West Coast Section in 2001
Lesson plans in English and Spanish for teachers
and engineers
Lesson plans matched to educational standards

Rotational Equilibrium:
A Question of Balance
Demonstrate the concept of rotational
equilibrium, by building and testing a
Mobile

17

Build working models

with household items

18

What have we done in 2005?

Pilot training workshop in Region 3

65 participants, from 23 Sections, in Atlanta, GA

Whole day workshop on lessons, association with
educational standards and working with schools

19

Plus half a day of a simulated TISP session

Feedback: multiple groups organizing training sessions

in Southeastern US and Jamaica

Atlanta, 22 July 2005

20

What has happened since?

21

Central North Carolina Section

22

Performed a TISP presentation to eight (8) Science Teacher Chairs in

November 2005
Gave a TISP presentation to high school Science Club students on 8
February 2006
Made another TISP presentation on 15 February to 12 High and Middle
school teachers
Have a meeting scheduled to speak with Middle School Teacher Chairs
in March 2006

Have 12 local engineers/volunteers committed to TISP

Founded a TISP steering committee for the Section

Central North Carolina Section

TISP event

23

Atlanta Section

24

Held a TISP workshop on 7 November 2005 at Marietta Center for Advanced

Academics
Presented an overview of TISP at a teacher workshop on 11 February 2006
Currently working with a high school teacher to develop hands-on activities for
Algebra 1 to show examples of how Algebra is applied in engineering
Working with a local parent to develop new TISP lesson plans
Presenting a TISP workshop to Marietta Center for Advanced Academics (a
magnet school for grades 3-5) on 20 February
Presenting TISP modules at the Morningside Elementary Family Science Night
on 23 February

Additional impact in Region 3

Florida West Coast Section

Held a high school TISP presentation on 19 April

motor controllers

Held a TISP presentation at the University of Central Florida

on April 28

Mississippi Section

Plans a TISP presentation for summer 2006 at a teacher

workshop conducted at Mississippi State University

25

"Introduction to Engineering for Teachers and Counselors"

What are we doing in 2006?

A Region 3 refresher

Expand to

26

Region 1 (Boston, MA)

Region 4 (Indianapolis, IN)
Region 8 (South Africa)
Region 10 (Malaysia)

Sponsors of our activities

27

Region 1 (Boston, MA)

Region 4 (Indianapolis, IN)
Region 8 (South Africa)
Region 10 (Malaysia)

IEEE-USA
IEEE-USA
RAB
RAB

What are we doing in 2006?

Expanding to Industry

Ask IEEE Technical Activities Board

(TAB) to develop new lesson plans

28

Lockheed Martin is the first participant

We are also exploring with TAB the idea of

parallel conferences to young people next
to major established conferences

What will we do in 2007?

Expand to

29

Region 2 (Baltimore)
Region 5 (Denver)
Region 9 (Argentina)
Region 10 (Hong Kong)

On Line Portal
Tryengineering.org

30

The Web provides us

with high potential for reachability

A successful portal can become a major

resource for students, parents, school
counselors, and teachers

Effort needs to be coupled with more modern

tools

31

But success is difficult in an ever-crowded medium

Instant messaging, podcasts

What information is needed on

line?

We met with school counselors and

Engineering Associations

Need on line tools for identifying formal and

informal engineering education opportunities
Engineering associations that participated in our
discussions

32

ACM, AIChE, AIAA, ASME, ASCE, IEE, JETS, SAE,

SEE, Sloan Career Cornerstone Center

What information is available on

line?

We conducted a comprehensive review of

engineering education resources

Conclusions:

33

By EAB and consultants

Many Engineering Resources are actually

focusing on Science and Mathematics
Resources for teachers are largely inadequate
Wrong message is sent about the nature of
engineering and the life of engineers

From Collegeboard.com: Law

It helps to be

Are you ready to

fascinated by the
engage in intense
relationship between law discussion of
and society
thorny legal
problems ?

34

From Collegeboard.com:
Broadcast Journalism

35

It helps to be

Are you ready to

sharp of mind and quick

of tongue

learn how to find and

interview sources?

From Collegeboard.com:
Civil Engineering
It helps to be

Are you ready to

A problem-solver whos Spend hours and

creative, curious, logical, hours working on
and a fan of math.
problem sets and
design projects?

36

From Collegeboard.com:
Mechanical Engineering

37

It helps to be

Are you ready to

A fan of science and

math, a creative problem
solver, and someone who
likes to take things apart
to find out how they work.

Rely on your math

skills? Master difficult
scientific concepts?
Take on a heavy
course load? Spend
five years as an
undergrad

From Collegeboard.com:
Electrical Engineering

38

It helps to be

Are you ready to

A fan of science and

math whos curious
about the way things
work

Spend hours building

detailed, complicated
systems
Try, try, and try again
when at first a project
doesnt succeed

Good existing model

Tryscience.org

Partnership between

39

Your gateway to experience the excitement of

contemporary science and technology through on and offline
interactivity with science and technology centers worldwide.
Science is exciting, and it's for everyone!

IBM
the New York Hall of Science
the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Science centers worldwide

Next step tryengineering.org

Companion site to tryscience.org

Comprehensive

Ultimate Audience: young people ages 9-18

Designed to convey excitement about engineering and design

40

Can-do attitude
Hands-on experience
Positive image of the engineering process and engineering

Discover the creative engineer in you

Tryengineering.org
A portal for students, parents, school
counselors and teachers
School search

41

By location, program, environment

Day in the life of an

engineer

Hands-on and virtual

projects

Lesson plans for teaching

engineering design

Ask an engineer

Ask a student

Brought to you by SAE

Brought to you by JETS

Games

Summer camps, internship

opportunities

Exploring TryEngineering
Life of an
Engineer
Find profiles
of
engineering
disciplines
Becoming an
Engineer
Learn about
preparation
tips, Degree
Fields
University
Finder
Search a
database of
accredited
programs

42

Lesson Plans
Download
activities that
are aligned to
Standards with
Engineering
Content
Ask an Expert
Pose questions
to Engineers
or
Undergraduate
Students
Play Games
Find links to
online game

43

Unique features

School search

Ask an Engineer

Ask a Student

44

To be managed by SAE

To be managed by JETS

Current status

TryEngineering.org is on line

We will have a quiet launch between now

and late August

45

Please visit and provide us with feedback

We already had several thousand visitors in the

first week

Advertising campaign in late August early

September

Our partners

The IEEE Foundation

United Engineering Foundation

46

ASME

ASCE

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

IBM and the New York Hall of Science

National Academy of Engineering

Design and Build a

Better Candy Bag
Region 4
Indianapolis, Indiana
Brad Snodgrass, Central Indiana Section
Douglas Gorham, Educational Activities

47

Principles & Standards

for School Mathematics

48

Geometry:
Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric
modeling to solve problems
Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and
three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop
mathematical arguments about geometric relationships
Problem Solving:
Recognize and apply geometric ideas in areas outside
of the mathematics classroom
Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies
Communication:
Communicate mathematical thinking coherently and
clearly to peers, teachers, and others

National Science
Education Standards
Standard E: Science and Technology

49

Abilities to distinguish between natural

objects and objects made by humans
Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Communicate the process of technological
design

Standards for
Technological Literacy
Students will develop an understanding of
Standard 8. the attributes of design.
Standard 10. the role of troubleshooting, research
and development, invention and innovation, and
experimentation in problem solving.
Students will develop
Standard 11. the abilities to apply the design
process.
Standard 20. an understanding of and be able to
select and use construction technologies.

50

Outline and Procedures

51

Divide into pairs

Brainstorm and create a sketch of your design
Build a model of your design with given materials
Calculate the approximate volume of the bag
Predict how much weight the bag might hold
Test the strength of your bag
Discuss and agree upon a redesigned bag
Rebuild your prototype bag
Retest the strength of your bag
Answer reflection questions as a team

Reflection

52

What was one thing you liked about your

design?
What is one thing you would change about
your design based on your experience?
How did the materials provided impact
your design?
How might you incorporate this activity
into your classroom instruction?